Veteran mixed martial artist Sherman
Pendergarst passed away Friday morning at the age of 45 after a
battle with rectal and colon cancer.

Sherdog.com confirmed the news with Pendergarst's coach and friend
Pat
Miletich, who verified that the fighter passed at Genesis
Medical Center in Davenport, Iowa, at 8 a.m. local time.

Pendergarst began his mixed martial arts career in 2005, competing
11 times in 18 months before making his lone Octagon appearance
against hard-hitting kickboxer Antoni
Hardonk at UFC
65. Prior to making the drop to light heavyweight late in his
career, Pendergarst also competed for the Bellator Fighting
Championships, falling to future
UFC staple Joey
Beltran at Bellator 5.